Ancoats is filling up with high rises, new apartment blocks and trendy bars, but tucked away behind Blossom Street and Oldham Road is an exciting part of Manchester’s history. The first council housing built with indoor plumbing sits unassumingly in the area and now a viral sensation on Instagram.
Anita Street and George Leigh Street host rows of terrace housing, something unusual in a city of flats. The houses and tenements are still in their original condition and create an oasis of nostalgia for anyone passing through.
On George Leigh Street, 10 of the 18 homes are still council owned, while half of the 36 properties in Anita Street are run by the local authority.
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Both streets have played a part in history, being some of the first council owned housing in Manchester to have indoor plumbing and are now used as filming sets, including a Seabrook crisps advert.
However, for those living here, the constant influx of selfie-hunters, walking tours and film crews can take a bit of getting used to.
Teacher Sam Bishop, of George Leigh Street, said: “It’s kind of strange, especially when you’re just watching TV.
“We’ve been here for two years and there are walking tours that go up and down this road which is really surreal.
“It’s a beautiful place to live. We’ve loved living here for two years.
"We were lucky to find this, it was on the market for two days and someone took it. The new people move in next month, it’s very hard to find this house. We actually upped our offer when we applied originally just to get it.
“It’s very special and unique. A lot of people posing for Instagram photos at either end of the street, especially when the blossom is out.
“I’ve never seen anything too stupid, but people just hang around this street, especially at night time. It’s so annoying.
“I think it’s because its a main walkway between town, Northern Quarter and Ancoats, so you just get people hanging around chatting with their mates."
Sam, who is set to move out of the street, said the area is plagued by speeding motorists who 'drive like absolute idiots'.
He said: “They go through that [no entry] sign there constantly and do about 40mph, all day long, and there’s kids about.
“It’s the same with the whole of Ancoats, it’s awful. It’s all unmarked and there’s been quite a few accidents. This last couple of weeks, some of the these junctions around here and it’s just a matter of time before someone gets killed, or really hurt.”
A few doors down, resident Susan Taylor reiterated the issues of traffic on the picturesque street. She said: “We got a nightmare with parking, with every building that’s being built, they’re supposed to be making provisions and they’re not.
“So, actually living here, you’ve got developers all the time. It is beautiful, we try and make it beautiful, we have a lot of filming here.
“These are the oldest buildings on the council’s list and they’re badly maintained. The last thing we had done was new windows and doors 14 years ago.
“The beauty of it was that we were on top of the city centre, but now we’re in it. I wouldn’t walk out at night.
“It’s a unique street and beautiful, but actually living here is different.
“Parking and traffic is a big issue. The street is very beautiful and attracts people and filming but from the council, I’d say it’s badly neglected.”
One street over and traffic isn’t an issue. Anita Street is pedestrianised with bollards blocking entry to the road.
Stepping into Anita Street, you could be walking through history, except for the satellite dishes.
Wayne Jones, a teacher and landscape photographer, stopped in Anita Street to take photos of the street, and explained that he found it to have a sense of nostalgia.
He said: “It’s like a folk memory almost, of something that used to be here. When people lived here and worked in the mills, I bet it was s**t. It’s no longer working class, it’s gentrified.
“There’s no cars here, this looks like it would have looked like in the 1890s. There’s nostalgia here.
“It looks like a Lowry painting, I could see kids coming out rolling their hoops.”
Warren Donnelly, a contractor working in Anita Street, opened the door to show the Manchester Evening News around. The entryway to the tenements still boasts the original tiling from the late 1800s, and while the entrance would have been a ginnel, the back is now sealed off with a backdoor.
This particular flat was rented out for nearly 10 years before being renovated. Originally, it created a bidding war when put on the market for around £800 a month.
Instead of renting it out, the owner now plans to open it up to be a weekend B&B.
Warren added how since working at the property, he’s seen a whole range of people stop by and use the street for entertainment. He said: “It was funny, there was a guy with a lad here who had a drone to show the old and the new. It’s a great little area.
“Everyone’s been good, the guys with the drone, they had a letter explaining. People ilke it because it’s the last one left.
“There were people out here on a Sunday morning doing dances and giving it all that. We have tours coming around, little groups of people, there were people giving out gin at the Ancoats Seat.
“There’s great history, it was Little Italy.”
A Manchester city council spokesperson said: "It is unfortunate that some drivers fail to take into account the clearly marked signage around this street and fail to comply with the one-way system. However, extra signage and markings have been added to reinforce the rules of the road.
"The Council appreciates the frustration this must cause for residents, but as it cannot currently enforce moving road traffic regulations, we would urge residents to report any violations to the police."
Further to this, recent statistics show that in this area the average amount of parking violations has actually decreased from an average of 75 per month in 2021 to 52 per month this year.
In response to the maintenance of homes on George Leigh Street, a council spokesperson said: "We have received two requests for maintenance from the resident on George Leigh Street in the last two years that were subsequently completed. We also haven't received a significant number of maintenance requests from other residents on the street - but we will follow up the complaint from the resident to understand more fully the concerns they have about their property.
"These homes received scheduled investment in 2016/17, which included roof repair works, some chimney and dormer repairs, and maintenance to soffits, fascias, guttering and rainwater pipes. Some windows and doors were also replaced where required with timber to meet the original specifications of the properties in order to comply with planning regulations.
"We also have plans in process to deliver low carbon investment at these homes and we will look to update residents around these works soon."
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